10 Neat Things about Cabbage and Broccoli
10 Neat Things about Cabbage and Broccoli
By Shauna Dobbie July 25th, 2024
1. Something sweet about sulfur.
The distinctive flavor of brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, cabbage and collard greens) comes from sulfur-containing compounds, which might explain why some people don’t like them. These same compounds also give the vegetables a pepperiness when raw and a sweetness that comes out when cooked. When roasted or sauteed, these vegetables develop a nutty flavour.
2. Cauliflower comes from wild cabbage.
So do broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, collard greens and cultivated cabbage. They are all the same plant, with the botanical name Brassica oleracea. As far back as Ancient Rome, people who liked plant breeding grew this ancient plant to develop stronger stems or leaves or flowers and so these various vegetables were born.
3. Kale to broccoli.
The first to be developed were kale and collard greens. These are leafier than wild cabbage and were first grown around 2000 years ago. Cabbage came next, and it was developed from kale. Kohlrabi arrived on the scene in the first century CE. Broccoli came next, with earliest references showing up in the 6th Cauliflower was developed in the 12th century and Brussels sprouts were developed in Belgium (probably) in the 16th century.
4. Nutrients.
Brassicas are packed with nutrients, including vitamins C and K, fibre, and various antioxidants. They are especially noted for certain compounds – glucosinolates – that have been shown to have cancer-preventive properties.
5. They like it cold.
Brassicas are adaptable to different growing conditions. They can grow in a variety of soils, from sandy to clay, and tolerate a range of pH values. They thrive in cooler climates, though cabbage and broccoli tolerate heat better than the others. They are cultivated all over the world, from the temperate regions of Europe and North America to the diverse climates of Asia and Africa.
6. What eats brassicas?
Other than humans? Caterpillars of the cabbage butterfly, flea beetles, aphids, cabbage maggots, cutworms, root-knot nematodes, thrips, cabbage webworm, leafminers and harlequin bugs, for starters. With so many insects looking for these tasty veg, gardeners are well advised to use row covers, which can also discourage deer and rabbits from gnawing on these crops.
7. Failure to form a head.
Cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli can fail to form a head owing to temperature stress, lack of nitrogen, not having enough space… in short, if you stress these plants while they are growing, they will respond by not forming a proper head.
8. Kohlrabi.
If you didn’t grow up in a German or Eastern European family, you may not have experienced kohlrabi. It has a distinctive swollen stem, quite bulbous, that grows just above the soil. You can eat it raw, sliced thinly or grated into salads and slaws, and you can roast, steam or sauté it. It is also widely used in Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Persian cooking.
9. What about other brassicas?
There are many brassicas that are not Brassica oleracea. There are Napa cabbage, bok choy, choy sum, tatsoi, mizuna and turnips, which all come from rapa. Rutabagas are B. napus, along with rapeseed or canola. B. nigra is black mustard, and B. juncea gives us mustard greens and gai choy.
10. Biofumigation.
This is a process where certain brassica plants, when chopped up and incorporated into the soil, release natural compounds that can suppress soil-borne pests, diseases, and weeds. Farmers use brassica cover crops (particularly B. juncea) for biofumigation to reduce reliance on synthetic chemical fumigants, promoting sustainable and organic farming practices.
